Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
Viewing: Tues 21st July from 1pm
Auction: Wed 22th July from 10am
Location: National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull B92 0EJ
Registration No: Un-RegisteredFrame No: 971MQN228MOT: None
Never registered for road use
In like-new condition with many extras
A faithful replica of Steve McQueen's Métisse, endorsed by the McQueen estate
One of only 300 made
“This rig is the best handling bike I’ve ever owned!”—Steve McQueen. That's some endorsement from the “King of Cool” himself. Originally developed by brothers Derek and Don Rickman, Métisse (meaning “mongrel” in French) has a long history of producing custom bike frames to be paired with classic British engines, often for off-road use. The mid-1960s Mk. III was a scrambler frame, and Steve McQueen, a keen amateur off-road racer when he wasn't in front of the camera, favoured a Mk. III with Triumph’s legendary 650cc parallel twin. Still extant as Métisse Motorcycles, the firm recently introduced the Steve McQueen Desert Racer, an “exact replica” of McQueen’s Mk. III, which was modified to suit his personal requirements and meet the physical demands of all-out desert racing, but for a limited run of 300 units only. This extraordinary machine was bought new by our vendor in 2010 and has been in vacuum storage all the while, so it is still effectively brand new, and complete with its certificate of authenticity (confirming its official endorsement from the McQueen estate), original sales invoice and so on. It is fitted with a T120 engine (no. T120DU1252), and features including a side stand, speedometer, horn and silencers. A new Holtwork tank was fitted in 2023, but the original tank has been safely stored and is supplied with the bike. It has passed a daylight-only MOT and is described by the vendor as "excellent" in all areas. There is surely no better homage to Hollywood’s greatest bike enthusiast.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Entry by catalogue and can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people)
